Baptists and Freemasonry

Published by the Baptist Union of Scotland and
endorsed by the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland

THE QUESTION RAISED

For several
years past certain members of our churches have expressed
disquiet concerning the relationship between Freemasonry
and Christianity and the possible influence of the movement
within some churches. The matter has been raised on several
occasions in recent Assemblies and has been the subject of
correspondence in the Scottish Baptist Magazine. Although we
have little direct evidence that this constitutes as serious and
widespread problem in Scottish Baptist Churches, the Council
considered the matter carefully and originally agreed that the
Doctrine and Inter-Church Relations core groups should review
available literature and compile a document directing churches to
sources of information, where it was felt guidance was needed.

However, there were those who felt sufficiently strongly about
the question to continue to press the Council for firmer action,
and at the Council meeting of January 1987 it was agreed to
appoint a group to study the relationship between Freemasonry and
Christianity and to publish their findings in the form of a
Viewpoint booklet. They do this in the conviction that our people
need clear guidance in this area.

Membership of the group comprised four members of the Doctrine
and Interchurch Relations core group, plus four others, under the
chairmanship of Rev. A.T.Peck. It was intended that two might be
sympathetic towards the Freemasons and two against. From the
outset, we were unable to discover anyone within or outside our
churches who would be willing to put the Freemasons point of view
within the group. We had to depend mainly on published accounts
of the principles and practices of Freemasonry. A good deal of
material is available both from Masonic sources and also from
writers critical of the movement. The major standard
encyclopedias also carry useful articles. Some of the books
listed in an appendix contain extensive quotations from Masonic
literature. We found it somewhat paradoxical that although so
much of their practice and ritual is shrouded in secrecy and
protected by secret signs, so much is available in various
publications, some from Masonic sources.

It is generally accepted that Freemasonry evolved from the
guilds of stonemasons and cathedral builders of the Middle Ages.
As cathedral building declined, some lodges of working masons
began to accept honorary members. This led to the development of
symbolic or speculative Freemasonry. Some Masonic historians
maintain that its origins go back much further, to the ancient
Egyptians and their Book of the Dead, or the sacred mysteries of
the Mayas, or even the building of Solomon's Temple. There is
evidence that there were Masonic lodges in Britain from the 14th
century onwards. But it seems to be generally agreed that modern
Freemasonry dates back to 1717 with the formation in England of
the first Grand Lodge, an association of lodges. Since then it
has spread to many other countries. The Grand Lodge of Scotland
was founded in 1736. There are estimated to be some two million
Freemasons in the world of which nearly one million are in the
British Isles.

The stated ideals of Freemasonry are, Universal Brotherhood,
tolerance of diverse religious "denominations and
persuasions" and avoidance of political controversy.

Freemasonry follows an elaborate mythology and complex rites,
involving oaths of secrecy. Elements in these are drawn from many
sources, including the Bible, other religions, ancient religious
orders and chivalric brotherhoods.

These are often used symbolically in a way which bears little
or no relation to the original context. The three basic degrees
of Freemasonry are, entered apprentice, fellow of the craft, and
master mason. Most Masons earn only these three. Beyond these,
there are many more advanced degrees, each with its own rituals
and secrets. At each stage, further secrets are revealed,
safeguarded by solemn oaths. Masons of the lower degrees may
often be quite unaware of the nature and wording of these
advanced rituals. Some aspects of the movement which are of the
greatest concern to Christians are to be found in these higher
degrees. Although the Grand Lodge of Scotland regulates
Freemasonry only within the first three degrees, the questions
raised are still implicit in the movement as a whole.

There are certain differences between Freemasonry in Scotland
and the movement in England or America. The Grand Lodge of
Scotland which regulates some 1100 lodges is the largest of six
groups. The Royal Arch chapter is an administratively separate
group in Scotland. The Grand Lodge informs us that certain of the
other groups will admit only professing Trinitarian Christians.

Freemasons are known for their generous giving to charitable
causes. In 1986, it is estimated that donations from British
Freemasons totaled some 12 millions pounds, and benefited a wide
range of organizations, including schools, old people's homes and
a private hospital. Although most of these are set up from the
benefit of Masons themselves and their families, the Grand Lodge
of Scotland supports the work of a number of charitable
organizations outside the movement.

Although Freemasonry is an exclusively male society, women may
join the order of the Eastern Star. This contains similar rituals
and symbolic elements to Freemasonry and its members share in the
charitable work of the Brotherhood.

Whether Freemasonry is itself a religion may be a matter for
debate. Masons themselves deny that it is. To them it is a
society of men concerned with spiritual and moral values or a
brotherhood with religious overtones. Whatever they may say, the
movements bears all the marks of an organized religion, with its
own theology, worship and rituals and its demand for irrevocable
commitment. The fact that religion is never discussed is neither
here nor there. The whole movement is shot through with religious
and mystical elements. The lodge is a model of a temple, Masonic
hymns are sung, and the volume of the sacred law is open and
prominent. There is a chaplain and an altar. Prayers are offered,
though not in the name of Jesus Christ. It is the religious
elements in the movement, some of which are felt to be
inconsistent with the Christian faith, which most of all concern
those who have pressed for an enquiry. The following are the main
points which have emerged in the course of our enquiry.

In Craft Freemasonry, God is the Great Architect of the
Universe (their code word TGAOTU). It is a concept of God which
can be accepted by people of many religious who are free to
interpret it as they will. This is not the understanding of God,
His nature and purpose, as revealed to us in Jesus Christ and
through the Scriptures. Modern Freemasonry owes much to the
thought of the 18th century, and this concept of God reflects the
prevalent Deism of that period, in which God is the Supreme
Being, the Creator who has set the world in motion, laid down His
moral laws for men to obey, but does not continue to act
personally in the world in mercy or in judgment. To Christians,
this is a wholly inadequate concept of the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, the name of the Great Architect is
revealed in the rite of the Holy Arch as JAHBULON.
This is a composite name comprising the Hebrew God JAH
(Yahweh), the Canaanite fertility deity, BUL
(Baal, who had licentious rites of imitative magic),
and ON (Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god of
the underworld). This syncretistic view of God is quite
incompatible with the God who has been revealed supremely and
uniquely in Jesus Christ.

The Grand Lodge representatives were unwilling to admit
knowledge of this name, since they regulate only the first three
degrees, and the Royal Arch is controlled by a separate lodge in
Scotland.

Whatever individual masons may believe about Jesus Christ,
Freemasonry itself does not accord Him a unique place as Son of
God, Saviour and Lord. Prayer is not offered in His name and His
name appears to have little or no part in the proceedings. He is
put side by side with other religious teachers such as Confucius,
Mohamet or Zoroaster who seem to be regarded as subordinate
deities. Some ministers who have agreed to conduct Masonic
services have been requested to omit the name of Jesus Christ
from their prayers. This is not invariable practice, certainly in
Scotland. We were assured by a minister who is a Masonic chaplain
that would refuse to conduct any service in which he could not
offer prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. Despite that, we
seriously question whether a committed Christian could accept
what seems to us to be a wholly inadequate view of Jesus Christ
for the purposes of his Freemasonry.

The Bible is one of a number of "volumes of sacred
law" used in Freemasonry. For Christians the Bible is
uniquely inspired as God's word for mankind and is the record of
His unique revelation through Israel and in Christ. Parts of the
Bible are used in Freemasonry in ways that Christians find
unwarrantable. This is especially true of the mystical and
allegorical use made of items from Solomon's Temple and of
certain Old Testament characters (e.g. Zerubbabel, Joshua and
Haggai, and the mythical figure of Hiram Abiff for whom there is
no basis in the Biblical account). The Bible seems to be regarded
mainly as a source for Masonic symbolism rather than the Word of
God, though we were assured that this would not be true of those
Masons for whom the Bible is personally authoritative.

Freemasonry teaches much about moral righteousness but almost
nothing about sin and repentance. There appears to be no need for
the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God through the
shed blood of Jesus Christ. Masons are encouraged to become
involved in charitable causes, and in the minds of many these
good works may be their idea of earning salvation. There is
another strand in Freemasonry which implies salvation through
enlightenment, after the manner of the ancient mystery religions.
In the first degree, the candidate is referred to as "a poor
candidate in a state of darkness, humbly soliciting to be
admitted to the privileges of Freemasonry", but the light
offered is not Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. We find it
hard to understand how a committed Christian could honestly be
the subject in such a ritual.

Masons believe in the immortality of the soul, but the hope
appears not to be in Christ, but through the moral example,
re-enacted by the initiate, of the mythical brass-founder, Hiram
Abiff. Some Masons deny that this is so, and regard it as a
misunderstanding of the meaning of the ritual. However, the hope
is expressed in non-Christian terms as "when we shall be
summoned from this sublunary abode we may ascend to the Grand
Lodge above, where the world's Great Architect lives and reigns
forever." This is not the Christian hope of eternal life
through faith in Jesus Christ the crucified and risen Lord.

Masons themselves emphasize that the movement is not a secret
society but a society with secrets, since there is no attempt to
hide the identity of members. However we feel that the strong
element of secrecy and the use of secret signs which characterize
the movement are inconsistent with the openness of Christian
faith and witness. We also seriously question whether it is
permissible for Christians to commit themselves to a course of
action the nature of which is a yet concealed from them, as
happens in the rites of initiation. It is difficult to avoid the
judgment that there is a strong element of deception in this
practice.

The extravagant nature of the solemn oaths to safeguard the
secrets is also a matter for concern. They smack of the kind of
vain swearing which is condemned in the Scriptures (cf.
Matt.5:33-37). Although the bizarre penalties of mutilation and
death which are attached to the oaths may never be literally
carried out, they and the oaths imply a degree of commitment
required of the candidate which appears quite incompatible with a
Christian's supreme commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. It is
difficult not to see a very real conflict of loyalties for any
Christian who takes seriously his commitment to the Brotherhood.

Some Christians are convinced that there are occult or even
diabolical elements in Freemasonry. Their grounds for this appear
to be mainly twofold.

1) The use of names. The name of the god Baal occurs in the
composite name for God. In the Bible this is the fertility god of
the Canaanites and later the name became an appellation of the
devil. In the ritual of some of the higher degrees the names of
Lucifer and Abaddon are used as revelations of the Masonic deity.
Both have evil associations in the Bible. Although they may
simply have been taken from the Bible out of their original
context and used in the first place with any evil significance,
some Christians believe that they carry their evil associations
with them and that those who share in the rituals may be in
danger of exposure to occult influences.

2) Some ministers and other pastoral counselors have had the
experience of dealing with Masons who have testified to their
need for spiritual deliverance, feeling spiritually bound until
set free by Christ.

Certainly the whole complex of words and ideas inherent in
Freemasonry bears close similarities to forms of occultism and is
in strong contrast to the purity and simplicity of the Gospel and
would appear to be inconsistent with the Christian's walking in
the light.

Whilst this is not strictly within the group's remit, it would
be a matter of Christian concern if there were strong evidence
that Freemasonry exerts an undue and detrimental influence in
certain areas of our national life (e.g. in the professions,
industry, local government, Civil service, police). Allegations
of unfair advantage, of the distortion of justice and even of
corruption, have often been made and as often strenuously denied.
Because the movement works largely in secrecy and uses secret
signs and code words, it is often difficult to pinpoint specific
instances. Some who have recently investigated some of the
allegations at depth appear to be convinced that they have some
foundation. For example, Sir Kenneth Newman in his guidelines
issued to the Metropolitan Police leaves no doubt that in his
view Freemasonry and police service are incompatible. Stephen
Knight (in The Brotherhood) gives detailed records of his own
investigations in various areas.

We feel that there is a great danger that the Christian who is
a Freemason may find himself compromising his Christian beliefs
and his allegiance to Jesus Christ, perhaps without realizing
what he is doing.

It may be that some entered the movement as young men with a
view to possible advantages it appeared to offer or through
family connections. It may be that they accepted the strange
rites of initiation largely as a means to an end. It could well
be that the religious aspects of Freemasonry did not greatly
concern them. Hence, they have never been acutely aware of any
serious incompatibility between their Christian faith and
membership in the Brotherhood.

However, the clear conclusion we have reached from our enquiry
is that there is an inherent incompatibility between Freemasonry
and the Christian faith. Also that commitment within the movement
is inconsistent with a Christian's commitment to Jesus Christ as
Lord.

"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim
to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. I we
say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie
and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the
light, and he is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all
sin." 1 John 1:5-7

These and the nature of our Christian commitment are
summarized in our Baptist Union Declaration of Principle, which
is itself firmly based on New Testament truth. There it is stated
that the basis of our Union is,

1. That the Lord Jesus Christ our God and Saviour is the sole
and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and
practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures, and that each
church has liberty to interpret and administer His laws.

2. That Christian Baptism is the immersion in water unto the
Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, (i.e., Lord
Jesus Christ) of those who have professed repentance towards God
and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Who died for our sins
according to the Scriptures: was buried and rose again the third
day.

3. That it is the duty of every disciple to bear witness to
the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to take part in the evangelization
of the world.

Stated or implicit in this declaration are the following
affirmations.

1. There is One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Who has
revealed Himself supremely and uniquely in His Son Jesus Christ,
Who through His death and resurrection has brought us forgiveness
of our sins and a share in the eternal life of God.

2. Jesus Christ as Lord is the sole and absolute authority in
the loves of Christian believers and within the Church.

3. The Bible is uniquely the Book of God's revealed truth,
through which God in Christ speaks today to the Church and the
world.

4. Salvation is solely through repentance and faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ.

5. In believer's baptism we affirm our prior commitment to
Jesus Christ our living Lord and Saviour and the Head of the
Church, and to our share in His mission for the world for which
He died.

Freemasonry consists of a body of men banded together to
preserve the secrets, customs, and ceremonials handed down to
them from time immemorial, and for the purpose of mutual
intellectual, social and moral improvement.

They also endeavor to cultivate and exhibit brotherly love,
relief and truth, not only to one another, but to the world at
large.

Freemasonry offers no pecuniary advantages whatever, neither
does there exist any obligation nor implied understanding binding
one Mason to deal with another, nor to support him in any way in
the ordinary business relations of life.

Freemasonry has certain charities, but it is not in any sense
whatever a benefit society, nor is it based on any calculation
which would render this possible. The charities are solely for
those who having been in good circumstances have been overtaken
by misfortune or adversity, and they are quite insufficient to
meet even these demands now made upon them.

Freemasonry distinctly teaches that a man's first duty is to
himself, his wife, his family and his connections, and no one
should join the Order who cannot well afford to pay the
initiation fees and subscriptions to his Lodge as well as to the
Masonic charities, and this without detriment in any way to his
comfort or that of those who have any claim on his support.

Freemasonry recognizes no distinctions of religion, but none
should attempt to enter who have no religious belief, as faith in
a Deity must be expressed before any can be initiated, and prays
to Him form a frequent part of the ritual.

Freemasonry therefore demands that everyone offering himself
as a candidate should be well assured in his own mind:

1) That he sincerely desires the intellectual and moral
improvements of himself and his fellow creatures, and that he is
willing to devote part of his time, means and efforts to the
promotion of brotherly love, relief and trust.

2) That he seeks no commercial, social, nor pecuniary
advantages.

3) That he is able to afford the necessary expenditure without
injury to himself or connections.

4) That he is willing to enter into solemn obligations in the
sight of his God.

Most of the reports and comments available tend to strike the
note of quiet pastoral concern, rather than indulging in wild,
dramatic claims. Certain basic concerns are common to all, and it
is surely not without significance that enquiry groups set up by
Christians from differing traditions have arrived at very similar
conclusions to our own.

The Church of Scotland Panel on Doctrine (1965) concludes,
"In our view total obedience to Christ precludes joining any
organization such as the Masonic movement which seems to demand a
whole-hearted allegiance to itself, and at the same time refuses
to divulge all that is involved in that allegiance prior to
joining...The initiate is required to commit himself to Masonry
in a way that a Christian should only commit himself to
Christ." (They are instituting a fresh enquiry following
discussion in the 1987 Assembly)

The Free Church of Scotland report concludes, "in the
minds of the committee, according to their interpretations of
Scripture, membership of Freemasonry...is inconsistent with a
profession of the Christian faith."

The Methodist report states, "There is a great danger
that the Christian who becomes a Freemason will find himself
compromising his Christian beliefs or his allegiance to Christ,
perhaps without realizing what he is doing. Consequently, our
guidance is that Methodists should not become Freemasons."

The recently published report of the Church of England enquiry
points to a number of fundamental reasons to question the
incompatibility of Freemasonry and Christianity. They believe
that Christians who are also Freemasons face major difficulties
in reconciling the two allegiances, and that some of the Masonic
rituals are felt to be "blasphemous, disturbing and even
evil."

From the literature consulted by the group, we recommend the
following for further reading.

Darkness Visible. Walton Hannah (Augustine Publishing Co.)
Valuable not only as a Christian appraisal of Freemasonry but
also as a source book of detail of Freemasonry ritual.

The Brotherhood. Stephen Knight (Granada) Not written from a
Christian standpoint but contains results of researches into the
influence of Freemasonry in areas of national life. The chapter
"The Devil in Disguise" is especially relevant.

Freemasonry - a Religion? John Lawrence (A C of E vicar)
(Kingsway) published in 1978.

Freemasonry Comment: As stated in the document we had
originally hoped for some Freemasonry input into our enquiry.
This proved not to be possible. A written request to a local
lodge for information resulted in a phone call with a strong
denial that there could be any incompatibility between
Freemasonry and Christianity and ending with a flat refusal to
give us any help. We were grateful for the comments of a member
of an English Baptist church who is a Mason, on the areas of
concern we raised with him. We also had comments from an ex-Mason
who has recently renounced his membership in the Brotherhood.

We were concerned that we have no authoritative comment from
Scottish Freemasonry and eventually we approached the Grand Lodge
of Scotland. They willingly agreed to meet us and four members of
our group met with leading representatives of the Grand Lodge. We
were received most cordially and had a frank and full discussion
on the questions which concerned us. In some matters, we found an
openness we had not expected and some real appreciation of the
issues we raised, though at times we detected a definite holding
back. We were grateful for the meeting which helped to clarify
some questions concerning Freemasonry in Scotland.

We have also noted the published concerns of the Grand
Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England on the report of
the Church of England working group.

In general, the reaction of Freemasons is a blanket denial
that Freemasonry is in any sense a religion or that there can be
any incompatibility with the Christian faith or in any sense a
divided allegiance. The important question is not whether
Freemasonry is itself a religion, but whether the undoubted
religious elements in it can be accepted by a committed Christian
without the danger of compromising the Christian faith.

The gist of their argument seems to be that even though
Freemasonry deliberately limits the concept of God to a common
denominator thought to be acceptable to me of all religious
faiths, the Christian Mason can bring into it privately all the
richness of the Christian revelation and supplement the
inadequate worship offered with his own worship of the Triune
God. Moreover, that just as Jesus Christ is implicit in the Old
Testament, so he may be understood to be implicit in Freemasonry
without actually being named.

We do not find the argument convincing. The question arises,
Why should a Christian for whom Jesus Christ is the fullness of
God and who knows Him as Saviour and Lord wish to belong to a
movement whose members when they worship together do not offer
Christian worship?

And why should be wish to belong to a movement which demands
of him the kind of commitment that he should only give to Jesus
Christ his Lord? mason5.htm